Enhanced perception in savant syndrome: patterns, structure and creativity

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Mottron, L., Dawson, M., & Soulières, I. (2009). Enhanced perception in savant syndrome: patterns, structure and creativity. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 364(1522), 1385-1391. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2008.0333

Publication date: 13 Apr 2009 Added to AutiHub: 3 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
3
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 3 (33.3%)
  1. Laurent Mottron
  2. Michelle Dawson *
  3. Isabelle Soulières

Abstract

According to the enhanced perceptual functioning (EPF) model, autistic perception is characterized by: enhanced low-level operations; locally oriented processing as a default setting; greater activation of perceptual areas during a range of visuospatial, language, working memory or reasoning tasks; autonomy towards higher processes; and superior involvement in intelligence. EPF has been useful in accounting for autistic relative peaks of ability in the visual and auditory modalities. However, the role played by atypical perceptual mechanisms in the emergence and character of savant abilities remains underdeveloped. We now propose that enhanced detection of patterns, including similarity within and among patterns, is one of the mechanisms responsible for operations on human codes, a type of material with which savants show particular facility. This mechanism would favour an orientation towards material possessing the highest level of internal structure, through the implicit detection of within- and between-code isomorphisms. A second mechanism, related to but exceeding the existing concept of redintegration, involves completion, or filling-in, of missing information in memorized or perceived units or structures. In the context of autistics' enhanced perception, the nature and extent of these two mechanisms, and their possible contribution to the creativity evident in savant performance, are explored.

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Cited references
38
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
2 / 38 (5.3%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
2 / 125 (1.6%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 2 / 30 (6.7%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 1 / 110 (0.9%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
30 / 125 (24.0%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 18 / 110 (16.4%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
28 / 30 (93.3%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 28 / 125 (22.4%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 17 / 18 (94.4%).
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